Ven i , vid i vin o BY BARBARA BARTON SLOANE
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est I give the wrong impression, my visit to Burgundy, encompassed far more than drinking wine. However, when we hear the word Burgundy, our thoughts do meander towards wine, non? Actually, you cannot think of this region without reflecting on its wines, But let’s first plan how to get there, now that travel is once more a precious possibility. Burgundy lies in the eastern part of France, 200 miles from Paris. You can fly into the Dijon-Bourgogne Airport from most major cities in Europe. The city is also accessible by TGV, the high-speed train from Paris. If you like flying along at breakneck speed, arriving in well under two hours, then this train is for you. You’ll reach speeds of 200 mph and the journey will be not just quick but comfortable.
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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021
TASTING BURGUNDY
The vineyards of this region cover an area of 27,000 acres and there are more than 4,500 individual wine-growing estates — a formidable presence throughout the world. A little-known fact: Each Burgundy wine is produced from just two grape varieties — Pino Noir (black) and Chardonnay (white). As I traveled from vineyard to vineyard, each displayed signs identifying the wine it produced — Vosne Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Nuits St. Georges. I sensed I was in a rarefied and special region as I learned that the pinnacle of a vintner’s crop is called Gran Cru and that some of those wines sell for upwards of $1,000 a bottle. I visited Dufouleur Père & Fils in Nuits-Saint-Georges, descending into a dark, cool cellar and sampling some of its rare
offerings. My host, Bernard Pennecost, cellar master, was good-natured and patient with this neophyte, providing an in-depth explanation for each wine I tried.
CASTLES, CHÂTEAUX AND MANSIONS
This area of France is a destination unto itself, dotted with impressive and historically significant castles. Its Route des Châteaux features 17 castles from different periods of French history, including the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. The Château de Bazoches is a sumptuous palace and past home to the architect Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, whose castles and fortifications for Louis XIV are found throughout the country. As we drove slowly up a wooded hill, the medieval château lay directly before us, its 12th-century
